Role and Responsibilities

I mainly provide pre-award support to researchers at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (MH Faculty) applying for EU, international and large national funding opportunities. My role is varied and includes:

• Keeping well informed of current and forthcoming funding opportunities,
• Helping researchers identify suitable funding calls,
• Advising on the terms and conditions of each funding opportunity, 
• Reviewing proposals, including CVs and track records, and providing supportive feedback,
• Acting as a key point of contact for organisations partnering with us on bids,
• Working closely with the PIs and Financial Advisors to develop the budgets and justifications of resources,
• Supporting the negotiation of Grant Agreements and/or Consortium Agreements,
• Delivering a range of presentations and training workshops on grant writing, EU funding, etc.

I am part of Søknadshjelpen (Grants Office) and work very closely with the other Research Advisors within the MH Faculty. I have a strong interest in process improvement and, as a result, I have co-developed several writing tips documents and process notes designed to support researchers access EU funding opportunities. I am part of several working groups with NTNU.

I presented at the 2021 NARMA Conference, co-organised NTNU's 2021 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships Symposium, and co-delivered the MH Faculty's 2021 Research Council of Norway's Researcher Project Workshops.

Prior experience

Prior to joining NTNU and relocating to Norway in 2020, I lived and worked in the UK for 12 years. I completed my Masters and PhD at the University of Exeter, a Russell Group research-intensive Higher Education Institution. I held several positions during my time at Exeter University. In particular, I worked as a Research Development Manager in the EU/International Team between 2018 and 2020. 

As a Research Development Manager, I provided pre- and post-award support to academics applying for EU research grants, particularly Horizon 2020 but also other schemes such as Erasmus+. I also supported an increasingly wide range of applications to international funders, including to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). My role was extremely varied and included:

• Advising on the fit of research to particular funding calls, 
• Developing and finalising budgets, 
• Providing feedback on applications, 
• Negotiating diverse post-award agreements,
• Managing the effective communication with the funders and all potential beneficiaries and partners on the grants,
• Supporting recruitment activities,
• Inducting PIs on their grants' chief requirements, 
• Overseeing adherence to all reporting and deliverable deadlines.
• I also line-managed several Project Administrators and Coordinators working on some of the larger and more complex EU-funded projects (e.g. Interreg Channel).